Latest news with #TimWatsford
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shane Flanagan in eye-opening admission about son Kyle after Dragons extension
Shane Flanagan says his son Kyle knows the Dragons are looking at new halves options and has dropped a major hint about a positional switch for the No.7, after inking a new two-year deal with St George Illawarra. The Dragons have backed the former premiership-winning coach to remain at the helm until the end of the 2028 season, despite the fact they are likely to miss out on the NRL finals for a second successive year under Flanagan. The veteran coach was off contract at the end of next season, but in announcing his extension on Friday, the Dragons say they're fully behind his vision to restore the glory days to the Red V. Club bosses say the new deal for Flanagan - who led Cronulla to the NRL premiership in 2026 - 'reaffirms the club's commitment to stability, growth, and a long-term vision for success both on and off the field'. "Shane has played a critical role in setting the foundation for where this club is heading," Dragons CEO Tim Watsford said in a statement. "He's re-instilled belief in our playing group, coaches and supporters together with reiterating the privilege of wearing the Red V." The Dragons currently sit 11th on the ladder ahead of their home grudge match against Flanagan's former side Cronulla on Saturday. They are mathematically still a chance of playing finals footy but would likely need to win all five of their remaining games, with tricky fixtures against top-four contenders the Warriors and Panthers still to come as well. Flanagan's men have shown signs of improvement under the second-year coach in 2025 but a crippling casualty ward has not helped their cause. Huge question marks also still remain about whether the Dragons have the playmakers to take the club to the next level. Shane Flanagan says Dragons are exploring halves options The signing of Sharks playmaker Daniel Atkinson for next season will certainly help, but it remains to be seen who will parter him in the halves at the Dragons in 2026. Flanagan's son Kyle has done a commendable job in the No.7 role this season but has often copped the brunt of criticism when the team loses, and forced the coach to reject claims of nepotism by continuing to pick him. But coach Flanagan says his son knows they are actively looking at other options in the halves, and hinted that Kyle could find himself in a new role in 2026. 'Nothing changes for Kyle. He's just gotta keep doing his job," the Dragons coach said after confirming his extension. 'He knows we're looking for players in the halves. At the moment I think he's our best option but down the track he'll maybe transition into another position. He'll just keep working hard on his game.' Flanagan's extension follows the recent appointments of Watsford as Dragons CEO and former NRL head coach Daniel Anderson as the club's head of recruitment and pathways. Flanagan was previously juggling his head coaching role with recruitment, but the addition of Anderson from the Roosters will allow him to narrow his focus. And the Dragons coach believes the Red V are only a couple of quality signings away from challenging for a premiership. 'I'm super excited about what lies ahead,' Flanagan told News Corp. 'I think we need one or two rep players to become a genuine premiership contender. A couple of class players and we'll get there. We've got Val (Holmes), Gutho (Clint Gutherson) and Cookie (Damien Cook) and we need a couple more to complement all the younger ones coming through." RELATED: Sharks hit back at 'soft' draw claims as finals race blown wide open Billy Slater's warning to Titans about star's future amid dramas at club Teammate detail behind Eels grand final star's fresh push to leave club The emergence of talented youngsters such as Toby Couchman, Hamish Stewart and Lyhkan King-Togia gives Flanagan reason to be optimistic. Coupled with the new leadership team and structures put in place at the Dragons, Flanagan says he's excited by what lies ahead and grateful for the club's support. "The playing group is full of talent and I'm excited by the prospect of realising success for the Red V over the coming years," Flanagan added. "It's clear the club is putting structures and processes in place to deliver outcomes for years to come and to be entrusted by the board and management is something I don't take for granted." with AAP
News.com.au
08-08-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
St George Illawarra extend coach Shane Flanagan's contract until the end of 2028
St George Illawarra has locked in coach Shane Flanagan until the end of 2028 despite a 2025 campaign set to fall short of the finals. Dragons chief executive Tim Watsford said the decision was about committing to 'stability, growth, and a long-term vision for success'. Flanagan, contracted until the end of 2026, has been granted the two-year extension with the Dragons sitting 12th on the NRL table, having won seven games this season, and ahead of a home clash with Cronulla on Saturday. 'Shane has played a critical role in setting the foundation for where this club is heading,' Watsford said 'He's re-instilled belief in our playing group, coaches and supporters together with reiterating the privilege of wearing the Red V.' Flanagan said it was a 'privilege' to be given the backing of a club 'built on such a rich history'. 'The playing group is full of talent and I'm excited by the prospect of realising success for the Red V over the coming years,' he said. 'It's clear the club is setting structures and processes in place to deliver outcomes for years to come and to be entrusted by the board and management is something I don't take for granted.' Watsford said the recent addition of Daniel Anderson as the club's head of recruitment and pathways would ensure the right talent found its way to Flanagan. 'The alignment between Shane and Daniel is essential to create lasting success,' Watsford added. 'It gives us confidence that we are not just making short-term decisions, we are building a sustainable future. 'The Dragons are proud of the progress that is being made and remain focused on continuing the journey toward consistent finals contention, driven by a committed group of players, staff, and loyal supporters. 'This is an exciting era for the Red V; one built on resilience, local pride, and an unwavering belief in the future.'
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘He insists it's a gee-up': Dragons come clean on burger celebration
The Dragons were forced to investigate and later clarify post-try celebrations by their players after a report claimed there were concerns it was being made in relation to Kyle Flanagan. Flanagan's place in the team has been a constant source of debate, to the extent that rival coach Ricky Stuart even leapt to his defence in the aftermath of the Raiders' win over the Dragons. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Now, The Sydney Morning Herald's Danny Weidler reported on Sunday that an on-field gesture had led to allegations of a player-led bullying campaign at the club. Weidler reported that sources close to the playing group told him that the 'burger' sign which some players made after scoring tries was meant to insinuate that someone is a 'Derrick'. CEO Tim Watsford, however, denied that was the case in an interview with the Herald and said as much to The Daily Telegraph's Brent Read, explaining it is a 'term of endearment' and more of an inside joke that only the players themselves would understand. Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield, meanwhile, said on NRL 360 that he spoke with Damien Cook's agent, who then asked the Dragons hooker for more of an explanation. 'He insists, and he did one too, it's an in-house gee-up thing,' Rothfield said. If true, it would only add another layer to the Flanagan drama at the club, but NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta said he found the claim 'very hard to believe'. 'Unless you've got solid evidence of that, because this is personal because it's his teammates and suggesting he's being visibly called a burger by his teammates on the field while they're standing next to him and you've got no real evidence of that apart from hearsay,' Anasta said. 'We talk about being critical of players, and Kyle is no exception to that in terms of his performance, but this is different. This is personal. This is probably what Ricky Stuart was referring to. You're going beyond criticism of performance.' 'It's a horrific insinuation that teammates would do this sort of thing,' added Read.
